• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Brewers-Phillies Preview

Sep 5, 2010 - 4:16 AM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Milwaukee (62-72) at Philadelphia (77-58), 1:35 p.m. EDT

The Philadelphia Phillies are starting to play like the team that went to the last two World Series, especially when they face the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Phillies go for a sixth straight win and a sweep of the six-game season series with the Brewers on Sunday.

Philadelphia (78-58) remained one game behind first-place Atlanta in the NL East with a 5-4 victory Saturday. The wild card-leading Phillies are 8-1 since being swept at home by Houston in four games Aug. 23-26.

"Getting in is the biggest thing," manager Charlie Manuel told the Phillies' official website. "But it's a big deal for us to win our division. That's all about the home-field advantage. To me, that's a bigger deal."

Milwaukee (62-73) is trying to avoid a sixth consecutive loss and another sweep at the hands of Philadelphia. The Brewers, swept by the Phillies at home May 14-16, last went 0-6 in the season series in 2004.

The Phillies posted their third straight one-run win as Wilson Valdez scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning on an error by left fielder Ryan Braun.

Philadelphia improved to 38-23 in games decided by two runs or less, giving it the best winning percentage in baseball in those situations.

Kyle Kendrick (9-7, 4.72 ERA) has been greeted rudely by the demanding Philadelphia fans while posting an 8.40 ERA in losing his last three home starts. He lasted five-plus innings and gave up four runs Tuesday, getting the win in an 8-4 victory at Los Angeles.

Kendrick failed to record a strikeout for the first time.

"I just need to finish pitches more," he said.

The right-hander is 0-1 with a 3.27 ERA in two career starts against the Brewers.

While Kendrick didn't allow a homer to Milwaukee in those outings, the same can't be said for Roy Halladay on Saturday. The Phillies ace gave up four solo shots - two to Corey Hart.

The All-Star right fielder ended a drought of 25 games without going deep, and also broke out of a 1-for-23 slump that spanned five games.

Philadelphia got homers from Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth, who are looking to work their way out of slumps. Howard has gone 8 for 47 (.170) over his last 12 games while Werth is 7 for 29 (.241) in his last nine.

They could have a hard time Sunday against Randy Wolf (10-10, 4.76), since Howard is 2 for 12 versus the left-hander and Werth is 1 for 12.

Wolf has gone 3-1 with a 3.48 ERA in his last seven starts, giving up three runs over five innings of a 5-4, 10-inning loss at Cincinnati on Monday. He is 1-2 with a 5.79 ERA in four career starts against the team with which he spent his first eight seasons.